2. Pigasus

A 145-pound hog named Pigasus had attendees at the 1968 Democratic National Convention thinking “mmm...bacon” when the Youth International Party nominated him for president. The Youth International Party -- or “Yippies” -- demanded equal treatment for Pigasus, including a Secret Service detail.

The Chicago police department cut the political porker’s White House ambitions short when officers seized the hog and his Yippie co-conspirators. A high-profile trial known as the “Chicago Seven” followed in which a jury found all defendants not guilty.

Though a rumor floated around that Pigasus ended up on the plate of CPD officer, the hog actually lived out his years on a farm in the suburbs of Chicago.

3. Clay Henry

The small community of Lajitas, Texas selected a mayor that knew how to party like a frat boy on spring break. In the 1980s, a beer-swigging goat named Clay Henry defeated a dog and wooden statue to claim the prestigious position.

Following his victory, visitors flocked to congratulate the mayor not with champagne, but with brewskies of course.

Two replacement goats later took over mayoral duties, but in recent years the community put a stop to the chugging and goat politics.

4. Morris

Morris the Cat is the Ross Perot of presidential elections, an outsider that failed to capture the White House in two POTUS races. The Nine Lives spokescat got a four-year jump on the Texas billionaire when he first ran for office in 1988 on the Finicky Party platform.

Morris got an extra kick to the ego when a victorious George H. W. Bush moved his dog Millie to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Me-ow.

5. A Kiwi Hedgehog

The fight for hedgehog suffrage led New Zealand’s McGillicuddy Serious Party to nominate a representative from the prickly species for Parliament. The satirical political group succeeded in securing a nod for the hedgehog in a local election, but the Kiwi statehouse remains devoid of stately spiny mammals.

6. Tuxedo Stan

The rags-to-riches -- or streets-to-couch -- tale of Tuxedo Stan could propel this Canadian kitty to mayorship in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The black and white cat is running on a platform that advocates a city program to cover spayed and neutering for pets.

Stan’s political ambitions face one hairball of a hurdle, though -- city law prohibits animals from holding political office.

Halifax might not have a spot for Stan at City Hall, but with 7,500 likes on Facebook, the ambitious feline could have a future holding court on the Internet.

7. Bosco

In 1981, residents of Sunol, Calif. elected a Labrador retriever named Bosco to the position of honorary mayor. The dog beat out two human candidates and held office until his death in 1994.

According to Roadside America, Bosco’s tenure as the city top dog wasn’t without controversy. During his time in office, the promiscuous pooch fathered a litter of illegitimate puppies with a local bitch.

Despite his imperfections, the small California town remained loyal to Bosco, and after his death, officials erected a statue (pictured) of their beloved mayor. A local restaurant took their devotion one step further and created a stuffed Bosco lookalike that “pees” beer.

8. Tião

In 1988, the fictional Brazilian Banana Party selected a moody chimpanzee named Tião to compete in the Rio de Janeiro mayoral election. The chimp ran under the slogan "Vote monkey -- get monkey." Even though all ballots cast for Tião were ruled null by officials, it’s estimated that the chimp managed to snag third place with 400,000 votes.

9. Boston Curtis

On September 23, 1938, the residents of Milton, Washington voted unanimously for a candidate named Boston Curtis as Republican precinct committeeman. The town was surprised to learn that the newly elected official was a brown mule.

The plan to get Boston into office was hatched by the town’s Democratic mayor, Kenneth Simmons, who filled out all the necessary paperwork and had the mule sign the documents with his ink-dipped hoof.

Simmons claimed he implemented the stunt to demonstrate that voters often don’t know the candidates they toss their support behind in primary elections. Embarrassing his rival party probably didn’t hurt either.

10. Stubbs

How can a mayor that never wears pants, poops in a box and sleeps away most of the day boast glowing constitute approval? The answer lies in the litterbox.

Stubbs the cat has held the position of honorary mayor in tiny Talkeetna, Alaska for 15 years. The mayor, whose name was inspired by his stubby tail, rose to power as a kitten and has ruled Talkeetna with an iron paw. According to a CNN profile of the kitty politician, Stubbs only drinks out of a wine glass and requires his water be spiked with catnip.

11. Sausage

In 2001, France’s second most populous city threw a bone to a mayoral candidate that drank out of the toilet. A Dachshund named Saucisse (Sausage, in English) nabbed 4 percent of the vote in Marseille’s municipal elections.

Despite a political bid that went to the dogs, Saucisse remained in spotlight and later appeared on the French version of Big Brother.

Tuning into the political dogfight playing out between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney might have you wishing a muzzle could put an end to the verbal scrapping. Unfortunately, with less than a month left until the election, not even a rabies shot could quiet down the race. That's not the case in every election though.

Dogs — and cats, chimpanzees and beer-drinking goats — have tossed their leashes into the politics ring. While the White House still hasn't gone to the dogs, so to speak, animals have nabbed high-ranking positions in city governments and made runs for Congress.

We offer a mental break from the presidential race with profiles of 12 animals that had political ambitions. Take a flip through the gallery above for our favorite partisan puppies and constitutional kitties.

Mashable
is a global, multi-platform media and entertainment company. Powered by its own proprietary technology, Mashable is the go-to source for tech, digital culture and entertainment content for its dedicated and influential audience around the globe.